Best 960GB SATA Kingston DRAM SSDs
There are 7 960GB SATA Kingston DRAM SSDs compared here. The fastest is the Kingston DC450R at 560 MB/s read at 960GB, and the highest-rated for endurance is the Kingston DC500M (9110 TBW). Sequential reads across the group span 450–560 MB/s at 960GB.
Why this configuration
A 960GB SATA Kingston DRAM SSD is a budget and compatibility choice. SATA won't win benchmarks, but it's the cheapest way to add solid-state speed and fits essentially any PC or laptop with a 2.5-inch bay. Kingston specifically tends to be chosen here for its firmware track record and warranty support.
Usually chosen for: reviving older machines, cheap capacity upgrades and second drives.
Good fit: workstation and creative loads that hammer random I/O; budget upgrades, older PCs and second drives.
Look elsewhere for: large-file creative work where NVMe pulls ahead.
Ranked list
Speeds on this page are the manufacturer's 960GB ratings where published (7 of 7 drives), not the family headline figure. 1 of the 7 are rated slower at 960GB than at their fastest capacity. Rated writes at 960GB run 450–530 MB/s.
| # | Model | Tier | Controller | Read MB/s (at 960GB) | TBW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kingston UV400 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 960GB | Value | MARVEL 88SS1074 (2-Core, 4-Canais, | 540 | 400 | Find on Amazon |
| 2 | Kingston UV500 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 960GB, 1.92TB | Value | MARVEL 88SS1074 (2-Core, 4-Canais, | 520 | 800 | Find on Amazon |
| 3 | Kingston UV500 M.2 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 960GB | Value | MARVEL 88SS1074 (2-Core, 4-Canais, | 520 | 400 | Find on Amazon |
| 4 | Kingston SSDNOW V310 960GB | Low-end | Phison PS3108 | 450 | 2.728 | Find on Amazon |
| 5 | Kingston DC450R 500GB, 960GB, 1.92TB, 3.84TB | — | PHISON PS3112-S12DC | 560 | 2823 | Find on Amazon |
| 6 | Kingston DC500R 500GB, 960GB, 1.92TB, 3.84TB | — | PHISON PS3112-S12DC | 555 | 3504 | Find on Amazon |
| 7 | Kingston DC500M 500GB, 960GB, 1.92TB, 3.84TB | — | PHISON PS3112-S12DC | 555 | 9110 | Find on Amazon |
The parts, explained
SATA III tops out around 550 MB/s, but it is the cheapest interface and fits any 2.5-inch bay or older laptop.
An onboard DRAM cache keeps the flash mapping table on the drive, holding random performance steady under sustained load.
Staying with Kingston means consistent firmware, tooling and warranty handling across the range.
Common questions
Is SATA fast enough in 2026?
For an OS, apps and most games you won't notice the difference versus NVMe in daily use. NVMe pulls ahead mainly on large file transfers and load-heavy creative work.